Help Potential B/B+ class?

[Scubawise]

Help Potential B/B+ class?

Hello, it's your friendly neighborhood scubaWise again. We are camping and discussing getting a new rig for the following reasons & requirements.

#1 propane or gas generator
#2 Both our big 90 pound golden retrievers recently passed.
#3 We now have 2 multi-gen Australian labradoodles 35 pounds.
#4 Ease of driving. Lora wants to drive but will not drive the Thor Vegas 25.6.
#5 Ease of site seeing, etc.
#6 Lora & I love app controlled everything including dimming lights.
We lay in bed and adjust AC, lights,etc.
#7 Do not need massive storage. Willing to place dog cages, chair on hitch rack
#8 Will consider slide or no slide but would love opinions.
#9 Queen bed is fine. Would prefer arm rests for drinks other items off bed.
#10 Diesel or gas?
#11 Space for 2 ..35 pound dogs to lay on floor.
#12 Toiliet, sink, shower
#13 ANYTHING else we should consider?
#14 We will trade in the Thor vegas 25.6...with 34,000 miles. Excellent condition.
#15 Should we do new or start looking at newly used where someone upgraded and wants to sell?
#16 What models should we deep dive?
Appreciate

 

[ducksface]

Diesel is a hobby. It does not pay. A test of the ram(I don't know of another test) shows gas and diesel within 2mpg of one another.
Diesel premium paid when new to have a diesel is ridiculous.
Fans will tell of torque. Ask them how they use that torque over how they use a gas engine. Transmission not shifting as often is the carrier of that water.
Go to a non-fanatic youtube page and then decide on your own.
I only know from experience why I'm not a diesel hobbiest. If $2000 less than a gas model I'd still say no let alone the HUGE premium you'll pay for diesel.

Propane generator is a silly greeny type thing that swills fuel from a tiny tank.

Go drive one. Compared to a new axis/Vegas;
The getting to the back from those front seats just sucks.
The windshield size sucks
The cab width is maniacally poor.
The cab is a flippin' work truck with a work truck level of design effort.
The passenger foot room sucks
The wetbath and probable cassette toilet sucks.
You won't have to worry about 1/3 tank of water because that's what you'll possibly have if full.

B and b+ are only a smallish percentage shorter than your current unit.
The turning circle and height and width of a b+ and EVERYTHING BUT THE LENGTH is identical to your current unit. A regular b is slightly narrower than your current rig but all else is the same-ish as your current thor.



Other than those I don't have an opinion on b class vs axis class.

 

[AlanH-THOR]

Potential B/B+

We have a Thor Axis 24.1, so sl;lightly shorter than your current motorhome. Last January, we were in Tampa, Florida; so we went to the Tampa RV Show. We were considering swaping to a smaller motorhome. At the show, we were able to look at a lot of motorhomes.

You really give up a lot of space, both inside and outside, when you move to a B/B+; when compared to the Axis/Vegas. There are two brands that may be a fit. One is the Gulfstream BT Cruiser. They offer a variety of B+ sizes. The other is Leisure Travel. The Leisure Travel units are reasonably sized, well designed and offer a high quality build. However, they are a bit expensive.

In the end, we decided to stick with the Axis 24.1 and upgrade it to better meet our needs.

 

[Cereniers]

Hey Scubawise.

We have the Gemini version of your RV built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. A foot shorter but same full-slide, folding bed configuration. There are times I wish we had your rig because it has some more space and driving cabin is much more useable and comfortable at the campsite. Our rig is easy to drive and economical on fuel but expensive to maintain.

I am reminded of what a wise RV salesperson told us when we bought our first motorhome. If it meets 80% of your needs, it is likely the rig for you. In other words, no rig is perfect.

We have had a Class A, Class C, a Class B and our current Class B+. They all provided loads of fun and great experiences. They fulfilled specific needs at the time we bought them. The only one we didn’t like was the Class C on the Ford chassis as the passenger foot room was too restrictive. Also, the cab was wasted space when camping.

Just like boats; once you own one, you are destined to look for a perfect replacement. I am not sure one exists!

Good luck in your search.

 

[Scubawise]

Diesel is a hobby. It does not pay. A test of the ram(I don't know of another test) shows gas and diesel within 2mpg of one another.
Diesel premium paid when new to have a diesel is ridiculous.
Fans will tell of torque. Ask them how they use that torque over how they use a gas engine. Transmission not shifting as often is the carrier of that water.
Go to a non-fanatic youtube page and then decide on your own.
I only know from experience why I'm not a diesel hobbiest. If $2000 less than a gas model I'd still say no let alone the HUGE premium you'll pay for diesel.

Propane generator is a silly greeny type thing that swills fuel from a tiny tank.

Go drive one. Compared to a new axis/Vegas;
The getting to the back from those front seats just sucks.
The windshield size sucks
The cab width is maniacally poor.
The cab is a flippin' work truck with a work truck level of design effort.
The passenger foot room sucks
The wetbath and probable cassette toilet sucks.
You won't have to worry about 1/3 tank of water because that's what you'll possibly have if full.

B and b+ are only a smallish percentage shorter than your current unit.
The turning circle and height and width of a b+ and EVERYTHING BUT THE LENGTH is identical to your current unit. A regular b is slightly narrower than your current rig but all else is the same-ish as your current thor.



Other than those I don't have an opinion on b class vs axis class.

Noted my friend

 

[Scubawise]

We have a Thor Axis 24.1, so sl;lightly shorter than your current motorhome. Last January, we were in Tampa, Florida; so we went to the Tampa RV Show. We were considering swaping to a smaller motorhome. At the show, we were able to look at a lot of motorhomes.

You really give up a lot of space, both inside and outside, when you move to a B/B+; when compared to the Axis/Vegas. There are two brands that may be a fit. One is the Gulfstream BT Cruiser. They offer a variety of B+ sizes. The other is Leisure Travel. The Leisure Travel units are reasonably sized, well designed and offer a high quality build. However, they are a bit expensive.

In the end, we decided to stick with the Axis 24.1 and upgrade it to better meet our needs.

Noted my friend

 

[ducksface]

We had a salesman tell us that 80% thing.
We had found our little toy hauler that had 300% of things we liked about things we didn't even know existed until seeing that nitrous toy hauler.
We shook her hand, said thanks for condensing it all, left and went and bought the toyhauler.

We did have her consign it when we sold it.
We owed her a great deal for condensing the thought for us.

 

[Muggs]

Got no real opinion beyond what a couple older couples told me when parked next to us in Disney campground. Both had B/B+ things. They looked at the inside of Vegas 24.1 and were amazed at space difference. Both cost over twice as much as Vegas. Both had a couple ankle biters along and we had girl and old 75 rescue.


The only upside they saw was the 11 MPG of Vegas vs 14 to 16 for diesel B/B+. Was offset by bigger tank in Vegas.

 

[Muggs]

Both couples were going to look at new vegas. They were tired of being cramped for space.

 

[ducksface]

Both couples were going to look at new vegas. They were tired of being cramped for space.

As they should once they're edumadated. If they didn't I wouldn't know what to think of them if they were shopping for rv's.

Thanks for the mpg breakdown.
Cost breaks down to a tiny tiny difference when diesel def and oil changes and such are added in.
You all decide which way it swings.

 

[yukongrant]

That 80% rule is good advice. We have a Compass on a Ford Transit chassis. We really like it - most of the time. It's not perfect - but close most of the time. But I guarantee it would not be suitable for most people on this site nor most of our friends.
Best advice - think about what you want to do. Looks like you've done some of that. How important is it that Lora can drive it? Space for 2 dogs? Bathroom features? Using apps to control everything? Make your list by priority. And then go shopping. You may already own the best solution.

 

[MCP-THOR]

Help Potential B/B+ class?

Hello, it's your friendly neighborhood scubaWise again. We are camping and discussing getting a new rig for the following reasons & requirements.

#1 propane or gas generator
#2 Both our big 90 pound golden retrievers recently passed.
#3 We now have 2 multi-gen Australian labradoodles 35 pounds.
#4 Ease of driving. Lora wants to drive but will not drive the Thor Vegas 25.6.
#5 Ease of site seeing, etc.
#6 Lora & I love app controlled everything including dimming lights.
We lay in bed and adjust AC, lights,etc.
#7 Do not need massive storage. Willing to place dog cages, chair on hitch rack
#8 Will consider slide or no slide but would love opinions.
#9 Queen bed is fine. Would prefer arm rests for drinks other items off bed.
#10 Diesel or gas?
#11 Space for 2 ..35 pound dogs to lay on floor.
#12 Toiliet, sink, shower
#13 ANYTHING else we should consider?
#14 We will trade in the Thor vegas 25.6...with 34,000 miles. Excellent condition.
#15 Should we do new or start looking at newly used where someone upgraded and wants to sell?
#16 What models should we deep dive?
Appreciate

Basically only 4 and 5 are “somewhat” givens. Most of the others are personal preferences or compromises, or both.

B’s, at least in our situation, are great for travel but less so for “camping”. Works for us but like many others we have space envy.

 

[paulwadley]

We started off with a brand new Class B built on a MB Sprinter Chassis in 2015. It ran great and had a propane generator. It got very good mpg. It was myself, wife, grandson and daughter(at times). In 2018 we decided to go larger but stayed with the MB Sprinter chassis style in a brand new 2018 Class C with two slide outs. It got about the same mpg on the road but had so much more needed room for travelling and sleeping. It also had a regular bathroom with a shower and not the wet bath the Class B had. We started towing our car with it and went across the USA in it. Service on both of those coaches was high being a MB Sprinter. This one had a diesel generator which was in my opinion better than the propane version. In 2022 we moved into a brand new Class A. This one has the ultimate room with 3 slide outs and plenty of room for our daughter and grandson. We frequently take a couple of our friends with us on longer trips plus tow our car. With each move, we thought we had the ultimate coach for our needs. The 2022 has two full baths and two black and two grey tanks. Not sure if we will go back to a smaller coach or not at this time. If it were just my wife and I, the 2018 Class C would probably fit our needs. The Class B was really two small/cramped with little storage for long term travel. Quick weekend trips it was fine for 2. I forgot to mention that our current Class A only gets 7.6 mpg but is gasoline. It does hold 80 gallons of gasoline and 100 gallons of fresh water. It has a lot of storage ability.

Paul

 

[Scubawise]

Got no real opinion beyond what a couple older couples told me when parked next to us in Disney campground. Both had B/B+ things. They looked at the inside of Vegas 24.1 and were amazed at space difference. Both cost over twice as much as Vegas. Both had a couple ankle biters along and we had girl and old 75 rescue.


The only upside they saw was the 11 MPG of Vegas vs 14 to 16 for diesel B/B+. Was offset by bigger tank in Vegas.

Wow thx

 

[Scubawise]

We have a Thor Axis 24.1, so sl;lightly shorter than your current motorhome. Last January, we were in Tampa, Florida; so we went to the Tampa RV Show. We were considering swaping to a smaller motorhome. At the show, we were able to look at a lot of motorhomes.

You really give up a lot of space, both inside and outside, when you move to a B/B+; when compared to the Axis/Vegas. There are two brands that may be a fit. One is the Gulfstream BT Cruiser. They offer a variety of B+ sizes. The other is Leisure Travel. The Leisure Travel units are reasonably sized, well designed and offer a high quality build. However, they are a bit expensive.

In the end, we decided to stick with the Axis 24.1 and upgrade it to better meet our needs.

Good deal

 

[Scubawise]

That 80% rule is good advice. We have a Compass on a Ford Transit chassis. We really like it - most of the time. It's not perfect - but close most of the time. But I guarantee it would not be suitable for most people on this site nor most of our friends.
Best advice - think about what you want to do. Looks like you've done some of that. How important is it that Lora can drive it? Space for 2 dogs? Bathroom features? Using apps to control everything? Make your list by priority. And then go shopping. You may already own the best solution.

True thoughts

 

[Scubawise]

We started off with a brand new Class B built on a MB Sprinter Chassis in 2015. It ran great and had a propane generator. It got very good mpg. It was myself, wife, grandson and daughter(at times). In 2018 we decided to go larger but stayed with the MB Sprinter chassis style in a brand new 2018 Class C with two slide outs. It got about the same mpg on the road but had so much more needed room for travelling and sleeping. It also had a regular bathroom with a shower and not the wet bath the Class B had. We started towing our car with it and went across the USA in it. Service on both of those coaches was high being a MB Sprinter. This one had a diesel generator which was in my opinion better than the propane version. In 2022 we moved into a brand new Class A. This one has the ultimate room with 3 slide outs and plenty of room for our daughter and grandson. We frequently take a couple of our friends with us on longer trips plus tow our car. With each move, we thought we had the ultimate coach for our needs. The 2022 has two full baths and two black and two grey tanks. Not sure if we will go back to a smaller coach or not at this time. If it were just my wife and I, the 2018 Class C would probably fit our needs. The Class B was really two small/cramped with little storage for long term travel. Quick weekend trips it was fine for 2. I forgot to mention that our current Class A only gets 7.6 mpg but is gasoline. It does hold 80 gallons of gasoline and 100 gallons of fresh water. It has a lot of storage ability.

Paul

Good info

 

[taylorbob1]

I think you would feel much differently about trading for anything if you currently owned a Vegas/Axis 24.1
- That is, with the full bedroom in the rear, you can virtually live out of it without ever using the slide. That’s convenient for on the road quick parking lot naps or cheap inconspicuous boon-docking
- It’s a full 1’ shorter than your current rig, yet uses the same 188” wheelbase. So it drives “shorter” than the 25.6
- The XL bathroom/changing area in the 24.1 is a show-stopper for most women. (The shower is a bit tight, but most RV showers are)
- If you don’t like or need the sleeper/sofa in the slide, you can always change out to a dinette or power recliners (like many on this Forum have done)
And the under floor storage is second to none for a 25 foot RV

You will find that a B or B+ can run nearly 25’ long, without the features & benefits of a 24.1 (think tighter in width & height, think “wet-bath” & minimal storage, while costing much, much more)

Bottomline, I haven’t found any rig I’d rather own than the 24.1

 

[Scubawise]

Basically only 4 and 5 are “somewhat” givens. Most of the others are personal preferences or compromises, or both.

B’s, at least in our situation, are great for travel but less so for “camping”. Works for us but like many others we have space envy.

Amen

 

[Scubawise]

I think you would feel much differently about trading for anything if you currently owned a Vegas/Axis 24.1
- That is, with the full bedroom in the rear, you can virtually live out of it without ever using the slide. That’s convenient for on the road quick parking lot naps or cheap inconspicuous boon-docking
- It’s a full 1’ shorter than your current rig, yet uses the same 188” wheelbase. So it drives “shorter” than the 25.6
- The XL bathroom/changing area in the 24.1 is a show-stopper for most women. (The shower is a bit tight, but most RV showers are)
- If you don’t like or need the sleeper/sofa in the slide, you can always change out to a dinette or power recliners (like many on this Forum have done)
And the under floor storage is second to none for a 25 foot RV

You will find that a B or B+ can run nearly 25’ long, without the features & benefits of a 24.1 (think tighter in width & height, think “wet-bath” & minimal storage, while costing much, much more)

Bottomline, I haven’t found any rig I’d rather own than the 24.1

Great analysis!